US automotive logistics through the years: Louie Adkins' journey to becoming a logistics "legend"

In the automotive logistics sector, we hear every year how much the industry is changing: whether that be due to geopolitical shifts or the rise of new technology like AI. But with the landscape changing so much in one year, it's also important to consider just how much it can change in the space of a decade, or in Louie Adkins' case, a lifetime.

Read more: Proficient Auto Logistics completes $130 million acquisition of Hansen & Adkins

Proficient Auto Logistics has announced the completion of its transaction to acquire fellow automotive transportation specialist Hansen & Adkins in a deal worth $130 million.

Now 96 years old, Louie Adkins has seen firsthand every shift and trend in automotive logistics since his first job in the in the industry in the 1950s, to co-founding Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport in the 1990s, the company that was  recently acquired by Proficient Auto Logistics.

Adkins' early life

Born in 1929 in Rockvale, Kentucky, Adkins' father sadly died when he was just three years old and his mother was unable to support him and his four siblings on her own, so each child was sent to live with a different family throughout Kentucky. Growing up in Iron Mountain in the Appalachian region of the state, Adkins worked hard on a farm, learning how to hunt and fish.

At 18 years old, Adkins left the farm and enlisted in the US army. After completing his infantry training, he was sent to the army's business administration school at Fort Knox and – upon graduating from the school – was assigned a role as a clerk in the discharge section.

He was then transferred to Fort Leonard Wood military base in Missouri, where he set up the post-discharge section. After that, Adkins transferred to the Third Armored Division of the US Army – based near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was here that he set up the division's separation centre from scratch, earning him a promotion to the rank of master sergeant / sergeant major. At only 21 years old, Adkins was the youngest to earn the rank of master sergeant.

Introduction to the world of trucking

When Adkins moved to California following his honourable discharge from the US Army after four years of military service, he found a job working to set up a small trucking company. But when he was turned down for a promotion to superintendent due to his lack of a university degree, he resigned and immediately enrolled in a course at Woodbury University in Burbank, California.

Well regarded at university, Adkins graduated with a BA in Business Administration in 1956. After graduating, he worked for a small trucking company but was made redundant after two years as the job was eliminated.

When he interviewed at another trucking company – Robertson Truck-a-Ways – in 1958, Adkins was disappointed to find out that the position he was interviewing for had been filled earlier that day but, in need of a job, he took a role as a file clerk – the lowest-paying job at the company.

From the very bottom, Adkins worked his way up through a number of roles at Robertson Truck-a-Ways – safety director, dispatcher, office manager and personnel manager – until finally after 15 years he had reached the very top. Adkins held the title of Robertson Truck-a-Ways' vice president and CEO for six years, until the company was sold and he was hired as a director at Hadley Auto Transport – a role he stayed in for 15 years.

The origins of Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport

By age 65, Adkins had spent all his savings on reuniting his family, raising several nieces and nephews and making a home for his mother, where she lived for the rest of her life. Unable to retire, he started his own company with business partner Steve Hansen – Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport.

Leveraging the close and trusted relationships Adkins had built in the automotive manufacturing sector, Hansen & Adkins started with small accounts and just four trucks, but over the course of the next 30 years his leadership helped build it into the company it is today

As well as employing more than 1,000 staff with more than 40 terminals across the whole of the US, Hansen & Adkins bought McGill Carriers, a Canadian company which at the time had 25 trucks. Now it operates more than 200 trucks in Canada.

Hansen & Adkins remained a founder-owned business for more than three decades, until this August, when it agreed a deal for the sale of the company to Proficient Auto Logistics. With this acquisition, which completed on August 13, Proficient will more than double its own fleet capacity, expand into the Canadian market under the name MCL McGill and take on Hansen & Adkins' experienced workforce of drivers as well as operational and support management personnel.

As a member of the California Trucking Association (CTA) and the American Trucking Association (ATA) for more than 65 years, Adkins has earned tremendous respect from his colleagues and peers in the industry, who maintain that he continues to come into the office every day and never takes time off. Adkins, alongside Hansen, will remain at the company as advisors until the end of the year in order to support its transition into a Proficient-owned business.

In addition to his work in the logistics sector, Adkins supports eight charities and is much loved by his family and friends.

In 2021, Adkins was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Automotive Logistic Executive Committee (ALEC), recognising his profound impact on the automotive logistics industry and the individuals he has met along his journey. Louie Adkins' extraordinary story stands as a testament to what can be achieved through hard work, dedication and integrity.

An unrivalled perspective on industry shifts

There is perhaps no better person to speak to about how automotive logistics has changed in the past 70 years than Adkins himself. Speaking to Automotive Logistics, Adkins highlighted how different the landscape was when he first entered the world of logistics in the 1950s.

Back then, he explained, transportation was also heavily regulated and there was a strong partnership model between OEMs and carriers. It would not be uncommon for a carrier to serve the same OEM for several decades, and there was an unwritten understanding that carriers did not pursue one another's customers. Relationships were stable, long-term and built on mutual trust.

Likewise from an OEM perspective, traffic managers often spent their entire careers with a company, allowing deep relationships and institutional knowledge to develop over many years.

This personal approach to business may feel far-removed from today's competitive landscape, where personnel changes are much more frequent and carriers are under constant pressure to win and retain business.

Of all the changes Adkins has witnessed in his illustrious career, Adkins said that he is proudest of having been part of an industry that has consistently adapted and evolved while continuing to deliver for its customers. Most of all, he said he takes pride in the people – drivers, employees, customers and partners – whose commitment and professionalism have made that success possible. Relationships built over a lifetime in the business remain, in his view, the industry's greatest asset.

Stories from the industry: Bob Miller

Having worked in the vehicle logistics business for more than 55 years before retiring, Bob Miller worked for OEMs including Chevrolet, Toyota and Hyundai, later becoming president and CEO of International Auto Processing and then International Auto Logistics. When Miller met Adkins, he was new to California and had just started a role as vehicle traffic supervisor at Toyota Motor Sales. 

Within the first couple of weeks working in this new role, Adkins came into the Toyota office – not to meet with any department heads or superiors, but to introduce himself and the company he then represented (Robertson Truck-a-Ways at that time) to Miller, welcoming him to his new job. Over the course of the meeting, the two men got to know each other and discussed family, marking the beginning of a business relationship that would flourish into a more than 50-year friendship.

"But of course it wasn’t just me who was treated that way by Louie," Miller explained. "Over the years I have seen Louie do the same thing time and time again: meeting the new person, helping them find their way, always staying in touch and always encouraging and supporting. I think anyone who has met Louie will feel the same way I do – that Louie is special to me and I am special to him. That’s the way he makes us feel."

That, Miller noted, is what makes Adkins so unique, and is part of the reason he is so well-respected and beloved.  "It’s his ability to see and treat everyone, the new and the old, the bosses and the clerks, the partners and the competitors, with the same blend of personal interest, respect, care and professionalism, over the long term, and to make that person his friend," he said.

Miller described Adkins as patient and persistent, sharing a story that serves as testament to this aspect of his character. When at one point in his career a customer of his was falling behind in their vendor payments in a way that could have impacted negatively on the company Adkins was with at the time – and repeated phone calls and letters weren't solving the problem – Adkins, a top executive, went to the customer’s office, took a seat in the lobby and sat there all day, every day until the abashed customer brought out a cheque to him, at which point Adkins politely thanked the customer and left.

"I think the lesson we can take from Louie’s example, and it may seem trite to say this, is that in spite of all of the changes and challenges that we face in our personal and business lives, most importantly we’re just a bunch of people and the best thing we can do as individuals is help each other succeed," said Miller. "Louie Rex Adkins is a master of that."

Automotive logistics remains a human-centric industry

In an age defined by KPIs and technologies like AI, Adkins reminds us that business relationships are ultimately human relationships. As the industry continues to evolve, he shared his belief that the leadership principles that matter most remain unchanged: treat people with respect, honour your commitments, build trust over time and always value relationships above transactions.

"Technology can make businesses more efficient, but it is relationships that create loyalty, partnership and long-term success," Adkins noted.

From Adkins' perspective, the fundamental truth that success in this industry still ultimately comes down to people is something that can be overlooked in today's world. To him, no relationship is purely transactional, and that is something he has taken pride in. He still speaks fondly of the friendships he developed with traffic managers and their families over the years – relationships built on trust, respect and genuine personal connection.

So great is the nature of these lasting relationships that Adkins has attended the weddings of some his industry peers' families, welcomed them into his home when they visited California and continues to receive Christmas cards from the spouses of traffic managers he worked with that have sadly passed away. Stories like that echo Adkins' – or "Louie the Legend" as he is affectionately referred to by colleagues – point that human relationships are still at the very heart of this industry.

"If you build a company centred on people, you create a stronger culture, deeper customer loyalty and more meaningful partnerships," said Adkins. "While technology, markets and business models will continue to evolve, the ability to build and maintain trusted relationships remains one of the most important foundations of any successful and enduring business."

Stories from the industry: Todd Myers

Over the course of his career, the positive influence Louie Adkins has had on those around him cannot be overstated. Automotive Logistics spoke to some of the industry leaders Adkins continues to inspire through his dedication and compassion.

"Louie welcomed me to the finished vehicles industry with open arms," Todd Myers, director of finished vehicle logistics and logistics purchasing for North America at Nissan Group of the Americas, told Automotive Logistics. "He's a genuinely caring, selfless individual who makes everyone feel like family."

"As I've gotten to know him over several years, he's always bringing a personal touch to every interaction I have with him and is always generously sharing his time, wisdom and experience to help you be successful," Myers continued. "He's incredibly loyal, kind and generous; he wants to build lasting relationships based on trust, respect and genuine care."

Owing to Adkins' genuine warmth and gift for the personal touch, Myers showed Automotive Logistics a handwritten letter he received from Adkins years ago after the two had met up – an incredibly personal and thoughtful gesture that will stay with Myers throughout his career. "People don't do those things these days," Myers said.

Myers described Adkins as "an anchor in the industry and a mentor for a lot of people", highlighting listening and storytelling as some of Adkins' greatest strengths. These are skills that the automotive logistics leaders of tomorrow should not lose sight of – paying attention to the needs of customers and partners while being open to share knowledge throughout the industry.

Myers said Adkins' relationship-focused approach serves as a reminder of the importance of looking beyond short-term gains and recognising the long-term value individuals can bring to an organisation and the broader industry.

Adkins' outlook for the future of automotive logistics

At this moment in time, Adkins said that he sees today's environment as both challenging and full of opportunity. With intense competition and constant change in the finished vehicle logistics industry, he believes carriers must remain agile and relentlessly focused on efficiency to stay competitive.

In his view, the greatest opportunities will come to companies that maximise the utilisation of their assets and adapt quickly to changing market conditions. That means reducing empty miles, filling backhaul lanes whenever possible, implementing innovative workforce strategies such as slip-seat programs, diversifying customer and service offerings, and continually rightsizing operations to match demand.

He believes that smart growth won't come from just getting bigger – it will come from getting better. Carriers that operate efficiently, remain flexible and consistently deliver value to their customers will be the ones best positioned to succeed in the years ahead.

After more than 66 years in the business, Adkins remains optimistic about the future and energised by the talented people joining the industry – whether on the OEM side, amongst suppliers or within the carrier community.

Stories from the industry: Glenn Clift

Glenn Clift first met Louie Adkins around the turn of the century when he was working as a logistics manager for Suzuki Motor of America. Clift went on to be national manager for logistics at Kia Motors America and then president and CEO of Glovis America, before becoming an advisor at automotive logistics consultancy GJC.

Clift spoke of Adkins' passion for the industry, attending every finished vehicle logistics event to socialise and share knowledge with his industry peers. Alongside spending time with his family, Clift said that Adkins' work is probably his greatest hobby.

What first stood out to Clift when he met Adkins was that he always treated everyone the same, no matter who they were or how small their business was. To this day, Adkins continues to demonstrate this mentality – one of the many reasons that he has been so beloved at Hansen & Adkins and throughout the industry.

Like many others in the industry, Clift attested to Adkins' enthusiasm to pass on his expertise and continue to improve the industry.

"Being a relatively young guy coming into the industry not knowing anybody, he was one of the guys that would introduce you to people," said Clift. "He wanted to educate you on the industry, of why things are the way they are and what he thinks we should do to make it better."

Whenever Clift was unsure about something, Adkins always found the time to offer guidance, being completely open, honest and transparent about the industry. Clift shared that Adkins was not afraid to share the secrets of his success. "I think he would be willing to share those with everyone." he added. "I think he truly wants to see the whole industry do better."